Underlayment with improved vapor barrier

ABSTRACT

Underlayment, wall paneling, and beadboard panels, with an improved vapor barrier provided at least partially by a layer of primer applied to at least one of an engineered veneer face and a wood back veneer of a plywood panel. The primer can include polyvinyl acetate and titanium oxide at selected concentrations to produce a primer with decreased drying time and increased coverage.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/898,881, filed Nov. 1, 2013.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to plywood panels. More particularly, the invention relates to plywood underlayment and plywood wall paneling.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Plywood panels provide one option for providing underlayment and sub-flooring below tile or other flooring materials. Plywood of various forms can also be used as paneling for walls, either as an exterior layer or as a support layer for other building materials. Traditional plywood having rotary peeled or slice cut veneers have shown a tendency to absorb water at an unacceptably high rate. These plywood panels may be exposed to moisture due to high levels of humidity caused by the local climate or other conditions. These same panels may be exposed to high levels of moisture if rain falls during new construction where the subfloor or underlayment has not been covered sufficiently, or where the building has not yet been enclosed. Therefore there is a need for plywood panels that have an improved vapor barrier, thereby increasing resistance to swelling, bowling, or delamination that can occur when plywood is exposed to moisture. There is also a need for plywood panel products with a variety of surfaces to provide the end user with multiple options for using a single panel.

SUMMARY

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, underlayment is described that has a substrate including: an engineered veneer face; a wood veneer back; and a wood core. A primer is applied to at least one of the engineered veneer face or the wood veneer back. In some embodiments, the primer includes polyvinyl acetate and titanium oxide. The primer is water resistant after being dried to provide an increased vapor barrier for the underlayment. The primer can form a layer that may be sufficiently thick to produce an opaque surface coating can cover the grain, texture or markings of the underlying wood veneer.

According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, wall paneling is described that has a substrate with an engineered veneer face, a wood veneer back and a wood core. A primer is applied to at least the engineered veneer face. The printer is water resistant after being dried to provide an increased vapor barrier for the wall paneling compared to unprimed plywood. The primer can also form a layer that is sufficiently thick to produce an opaque surface coating that can cover the grain, texture or markings of the underlying wood veneer.

According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, plywood beadboard is described that has a substrate with a top surface and a bottom surface formed by a face veneer formed from wood, at least one core veneer formed from wood, and a back veneer formed from wood. A first bead pattern is formed in the top surface of the substrate. A second bead pattern is formed in the bottom surface of the substrate. At least one of the face veneer and back veneer is an engineered veneer. The engineered veneer may be coated with a primer providing an improved vapor barrier.

Numerous other aspects of embodiments, embodiments, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. In the description and/or the accompanying drawings, reference is made to exemplary aspects of embodiments and/or embodiments of the invention which can be applied individually or combined in any way with each other. Such aspects of embodiments and/or embodiments do not represent the full scope of the invention. Reference should therefore be made to the claims herein for interpreting the full scope of the invention. In the interest of brevity and conciseness, any ranges of values set forth in this specification contemplate all values within the range and are to be construed as support for claims reciting any sub-ranges having endpoints which are real number values within the specified range in question. By way of a hypothetical illustrative example, a disclosure in this specification of a range of from 1 to 5 shall be considered to support claims to any of the following ranges: 1-5; 1-4; 1-3; 1-2; 2-5; 2-4; 2-3; 3-5; 3-4; and 4-5. Also in the interest of brevity and conciseness, it is to be understood that such terms as “is,” “are,” “includes,” “having,” “comprises,” and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms and yet may encompass the terms “comprises,” “consists essentially of,” “consists of,” and the like as is appropriate.

These and other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a panel structure according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the panel structure of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a panel structure that includes an engineered veneer face, an engineered veneer back, and a core according to embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 a cross-sectional view of a panel structure that includes an engineered veneer face, a back, and a core according to other embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a plywood headboard panel according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views shown in the figures. It is also understood that terms such as “top,” “bottom,” “outward,” “inward,” and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.

As used hereto, the term “engineered veneer” generally means a veneer material produced from wood, generally without using computer assisted design simulation, by cutting wood to a thickness of about 0.1 mm-0.4 mm followed by optional whitening and/or dyeing, steps. Textures of engineered veneers typically are substantially homogeneous and/or nondescript. Colors of engineered veneers can be artificially controlled. Discoloration, knots, and wormholes inherent to natural veneers can be avoided.

According to aspects of the invention, a plywood panel within the scope of this disclosure may have a thickness or desired thickness from about 2 mm to about 30 mm (about 5/64″ to 1 3/16″). Examples of thicknesses, without limitation, include (a) the metric sizes of about 2 mm, about 2.4 mm, about 2.7 mm, about 3.2 mm, about 3.6 mm, about 4 mm, about 5.2 mm, about 5.5 mm, about 6 mm, about 6.5 mm, about 9 mm, about 12 mm, about 15 mm, about 18 mm, and about 21 mm to about 30 mm; and (b) the standard or inch sizes of about 1/12″, about ¼″, about 5/16″, about ⅜″, about e,fra 7/16″, about ½″, about 9/16″, about ⅝″, about 11/16″, about ¾″, about 13/15″, about ⅞″, about 15/16″, about 1″, about 1 1/18″, and about 1 3/16. Also, according to those or other aspects, a plywood panel according to aspects of this disclosure may have a length or desired length from about 1220 mm to about 3660 mm (about 4′ to about 12′) and a width or desired width from about 610 mm to about 2440 mm (about 2′ to about 8′).

Referring to the figures, it will be understood that the illustrations are for the purpose of describing certain aspects and embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention thereto. The figures are schematic only and not necessarily to scale.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an underlayment panel or wall panel (generally designated by reference numeral 10) according to the present disclosure. Such a panel 10 includes a face 12 of wood veneer, a back 14 of wood veneer and a core 16 of wood veneer between the face 12 and the back 14. These three elements collectively define a substrate 40. The face 12 shown in FIG. 1B includes an engineered veneer 32. The face 12 is not required to include an engineered veneer 32 in all embodiments of the present disclosure. The back 14 may or may not be an engineered veneer 32. When not comprised of an engineered veneer 32, back 14 may be a natural veneer 24. The core 16 of the panel 10 may be a single layer as depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B, or the core 16 may be a plurality of core members or plies. Between the face 12 and the core 16 is an adhesive 18. Likewise, between the core 16 and the back 14 is an adhesive 18. An adhesive 18 may also be used between separate plies to provide a core 16 with multiple layers. FIG. 1B illustrates an exploded view of the panel 10 of FIG. 1A. As can be seen, the face 12, comprised of the engineered veneer 32, and the back 14 sandwich the core 16.

As used in this disclosure, the terms “face” and “back” are used to reference separate distal surface veneers of the panels 10. The term “face” is not used to impart an intended orientation to the described panels. In other words, the “face” is not necessarily the exposed side of a panel in-use. Likewise, the “back” is not necessarily the hidden side of a panel in-use. Further, the terms “face” and “back” are not used to impart any relative quality to their respective veneers. Veneers are often given letter grades to designate their quality. The term “face” is not used to designate a veneer of equal or greater quality than the “back,” and vice versa.

In some embodiments (see FIG. 4), one or both the of face 12 and the back 14 may be pressed, scored, cut, molded, or otherwise deformed from a substantially smooth surface for the purpose of providing a decorative pattern along one or both surfaces of the substrate 40. For example, the substrate 40 may constitute beadboard, having a series of beads formed in a parallel, spaced apart manner along one of the length and width of the substrate 40. The beads may be formed in at least one of, and preferably both of, the face 12 and back 14 as thin strips defined between grooves, formed into the face 12 or back 14. The pattern formed in the face 12 may be different from the pattern in the back 14. For example, the beads may be spaced apart by different distances, or the beads may be oriented in different directions. Forming a bead pattern along the surface can result in the shaping of the face 12 and back veneer 14, but can also impart a shape or groove structure to one or more plies of the core 16.

Each substrate 40 can have peripheral surfaces that are substantially flat and perpendicular to the face 12 and back 14. In other embodiments, the peripheral faces of each substrate 40 may be mitered or otherwise shaped (e.g. tongue and groove) to allow joining of adjacent panels 10 when in-use.

In some embodiments, each panel 10 further comprises a layer of primer 50 added to at least one of the face 12 and the back 14 of the panel 10. As seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the layer of primer 50 is coated, spread, sprayed or otherwise applied to the face 12 of the panel 10.

The primer 50 is applied with sufficient quantity to produce a layer of primer 50 that has sufficient thickness to improve the vapor barrier of the panel 10 compared to an uncoated panel of Lauan plywood with natural veneers 24. As a result, the panel 10 of the present disclosure will have improved resistance to moisture, helping the panel 10 to avoid swelling, bowing, or delamination that can occur when conventional Lauan plywood is exposed to moisture. Particularly when used as underlayment, bowing or other changes in shape of the panel 10 can cause damage to the flooring material installed above the underlayment. Where flooring material is glued to the underlayment with adhesive or grout, the presence of moisture can cause the resulting bond to degrade, allowing the flooring to shift relative to the underlayment, further damaging the flooring. The primer 50 may also be applied with sufficient quantity to produce a primer layer 50 that has sufficient thickness to provide an opaque surface coating that visibly covers or hides the grain, texture and/or markings of the underlying natural veneer 24 or engineered veneer 32. In order to accomplish these objectives with the primers 50 disclosed herein, a layer of primer 50 at least about 0.0025 mm thick is preferred, and a layer at least about 0.005 mm thick is more preferred. The thickness of the primer layer 50 should not exceed the thickness of the underlying natural veneer 24 or underlying engineered veneer 32.

The application of the primer 50 by the supplier of the plywood panel 10 provides additional advantages to the end user by saving them time, labor and material costs associated with separately priming a conventional panel. A primer separately selected by the end user may fail to provide the coverage and vapor barrier protection afforded by the primer 50 within the scope of this disclosure.

The primer 50 preferably comprises at least some polyvinyl acetate. In order to help improve drying time, and therefore speed manufacturing of the panels 10, a concentration of polyvinyl acetate within the range of about 10% to about 20% by weight is preferred.

The primer 50 also preferably comprises at least some titanium oxide. In order to help improve the ability for the primer 50 to cover the underlying veneer, a concentration of titanium oxide within the range of about 20% to about 30% by weight is preferred.

The printer 50 may include one or more additional compounds selected from the group comprising, water, calcium carbonate, Kaolin, iron oxide, polyvinyl alcohol, and sodium bicarbonate. The primer 50 may be colored using one or more different colors/types of iron oxide or other colorants. All of the compounds within the preferred primer 50 should be selected such that the primer 50 is classifiable as free from volatile organic compounds according to ISO16000-11, and classifiable as free from Substances of Very High Concern according to REACH regulations EC1907/2006.

EXAMPLE 1

A suitable primer was created in accordance with this disclosure that was able to dry quickly, and effectively hide the grain, texture and/or markings of wood veneers. The suitable primer is free from volatile organic compounds in accordance with ISO16000-11 and other Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) as defined by REACH regulation (EC1907/2006). The composition of the example primer is shown below in table 1.

TABLE 1 # Ingredient name CAS No. Concentration 1 Water 7732-18-5 35% 2 titanium oxide 13463-67-7 25% 3 polyvinyl acetate 9003-20-7 16.5% 4 calcium carbonate (light) 471-34-1 8% 5 Kaolin 1332-58-7 6% 6 iron oxide yellow 51274-00-1 3% 7 iron oxide red 1332-37-2 2% 8 polyvinyl alcohol 9002-89-5 1.8% 9 sodium bicarbonate 144-55-8 1.55% 10 iron oxide black 1309-38-2 1% 11 acrylic acid 79-10-7 0.15%

Returning to the figures, FIG. 1A identifies a thickness (Tp) of the primer 50, a thickness (Tf) of the face 12, a thickness (Tb) of the back 14, a thickness (Tc) of the core 16, and the total thickness (Tt) of the panel 10. The thicknesses (Tt) of the panel 10 may be any value and is not limited to nominal commercial thicknesses. For underlayment applications, a total thickness (Tt) between about 4.5 mm and about 9 mm is preferred. For wall paneling applications, a total thickness (Tt) of between, about 2.7 mm and about 9.0 mm is preferred.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the plywood panels 10 may have a face 12 of an engineered veneer 32 including a plurality of elongated wood strips with each wood strip having a thickness from about 0.1 mm to about 0.8 mm (about 1/256″ to about 7/256″). The panel 10 may also include a face 12 having a thickness (Tf) from about 0.1 mm to about 0.8 mm (about 1/256″ to about 7/250″).

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a plywood panel 10 may have a face 12 that includes an engineered veneer 32 having a plurality of elongated wood strips including wood grain with each wood grain in each of the wood strips extending substantially along a length of the strip. Also, the plywood panel 10 may have a face 12 including an engineered veneer 32 having a plurality of elongated wood strips bonded to each other by means of an adhesive 18. Further, the plywood panel 10 may have a face 12 including an engineered veneer 32 having a plurality of elongated wood strips bonded to each other by means of an adhesive 18 matched to the color of the wood whereby the joints between the wood strips are substantially invisible.

Preferably, the panel 10 may be manufactured using sustainably harvested wood, free from tropical hardwood species from non-plantation sources.

Natural veneers 24 and engineered veneers 32 as used for one or more of the face 12 and back 14 of the panels 10 of this disclosure may be formed by a variety of methods. Preferably, the natural veneers 24 and engineered veneers 32 are formed in accordance with the methods and processes described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,414,996, having a common inventor with the instant disclosure. The contents of that patent are incorporated herein in their entirety.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that using an engineered veneer 32 as a face 12, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, will produce a panel 10 that may be characterized as having a more consistent visual appearance.

To that end, inventor contemplates that practitioners in the building trades would find it easier and more desirable to work with such a plywood panel 10 having an engineered veneer 32 according to the present disclosure because variations that are otherwise characteristic of natural veneers 24 may be reduced or eliminated.

FIG. 2 shows a panel 110 including a face 12 and a back 14, both comprised of an engineered veneer 32, and a core 16 according to embodiments of the present invention. The core 16 may be a single natural veneer 24 in a cross-hand configuration or a plurality of alternated veneers. The panel 110 as shown in FIG. 2 may advantageously include a face 12 and back 14 having less visual variability or more visual consistency because both are comprised of an engineered veneer 32. As noted earlier, it is contemplated that practitioners in the building trades would find it easier and more desirable to work with such a panel 110 because variations that are otherwise characteristic of conventional Lauan plywood panels may be reduced or eliminated.

FIG. 2 further shows the panel 110 including a primer layer 50 applied to one of the engineered veneers 32. The combination of the consistency of the engineered veneer 32 with the primer layer 50 allows the primer layer to properly cover the underlying ply more easily, i.e. with less primer, than a primer layer applied so a natural veneer 24. Use of engineered veneers 32 on both the face 12 and back 14 will allow the user increased ability to select the exterior side of the panel 10 based on their needs. For example, the primer layer 50 may be outward facing if additional painting is required for a project. On the other hand, the primer layer 50 may be inward facing if a wood grain appearance is desired, as provided by the uncoated engineered veneer 32.

In another embodiment, a panel 210 as shown in FIG. 3 is within the scope of this disclosure. The panel 210 of FIG. 3 includes a face 12 of an engineered veneer 32 and a back 14 of a natural veneer 24 like FIG. 1A, but the primer layer 50 is applied to the back 14 with the natural veneer 24.

As previously stated above, the primer 50 is applied with sufficient quantity to produce a layer of primer 50 that has sufficient thickness to improve the vapor barrier of the panel 10 compared to an uncoated panel of Lauan plywood with natural veneers. The following test was performed to verify the improvement of the vapor barrier produced by the panels 10, 110, 210 having the layers and primer of this disclose.

Test Results

A sample plywood panel according to the present disclosure, including the primer according to Example 1 was tested by independent testing service SGS to determine a rate of water vapor transmission as defined by ASTM E96/E96M-10 Water Method. The test was conducted at 23 degrees centigrade and 50% relative humidity. Results of the test are shown below in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Rate of Water Vapor Transmission Sample g/(sq. m per day) Panel According to the embodiment of FIG. 1A 100.1 Unprimed Panel with Engineered Veneer 105.7 Uncoated Conventional Lauan Plywood 120.4

Returning again to the figures, FIG. 4 shows a beadboard panel 410 that is shown as double-sided, and within the scope of this disclosure. As mentioned above, single-sided beadboards are also contemplated. The beadboard panel 410 includes a face 12 with a fist bead pattern 60 defined by a first bead spacing L₁. The face 12 is shown as a natural veneer 24 but may be engineered. In one example, the natural veneer 24 may be cut from pine. The beadboard panel 410 includes a back 14 with a second bead pattern 62 defined by a second bead spacing L₂. The shape of each bead in the first bead pattern 60 may be the same or different from the shape of each bead in the second bead pattern 62. L₁ may equal L₂ or be different from L₂. The back 14 is shown as an engineered veneer 32, but may be natural. The beadboard panel 410 shown in FIG. 4 provides the user several options by choosing the type of veneer to have exposed when the beadboard panel 410 is mounted to a wall or ceiling. The double-sided pattern also provides the user with the ability to further configure their designed exposed appearance of the beadboard panel 410.

The versatility of the beadboard panel 410 shown in FIG. 4 provides a unique structure and advantages by itself, but can be further enhanced by one or more layers of the primer 50 applied to one or both of the face 12 and back 14. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 4, primer 50 is applied to the engineered veneer 32 forming the back 14, and the natural veneer 24 forming the face 12 is left unprimed.

Method of Production

The panels 10, 110, 210, 410 of the present disclosure each comprise at least a face 12, core 16 and back 14 held together by adhesive 18. This combination of plies forms the substrate 40 on which to apply the primer 50. The substrate 40 may be formed by any conventional method of producing plywood panels, but is preferably produced in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 8,414,996 as discussed above.

Once provided with a substrate 40, the method of manufacturing the panels 10, 110, 210, 410 in accordance with this disclosure includes the step of pouring the primer 50 into a spreader. A spreader is preferred in order to obtain an even primer layer capable of an opaque surface coating and the vapor barrier advantages discussed above. While a spreader is preferred, other known machines or devices used to apply liquid to a surface may also be used.

The preferred method of manufacturing continues with the step of adjusting the spreader to control the characteristics of the primer 50 spread during each pass of the substrate 40 through the machine. This adjustment can include adjusting the roughness of one or more roller within the spreader, adjusting the distance between the rollers with the spreader, adjusting the viscosity of the primer, and adjusting the speed of the rollers. In some embodiments the spreader is able to apply primer 50 to the substrate 40 at a rate of between about 0.1 kg to about 0.2 kg per pass on a 4′ by 8′ substrate 40.

Once the spreader is configured, the substrate 40 is passed through the spreader using at least one of a conveyer and a belt. In some embodiments, the substrate 40 passes through the spreader at a rate between about 40 and about 100 feet per minute.

As the substrate 40 is passed through the spreader, primer 50 is applied to at least one surface of the substrate 40. In order to produce an opaque surface coating, several passes of the substrate 40 through a single spreader, or a single pass through several consecutive spreaders, may be necessary. Once the primer 50 is applied to the substrate 40, the primer 50 is allowed to dry. The primed substrate may be dried with ambient air alone, or the drying process may be expedited by using at least one of heated air and forced air. The primer 50 is selected to be water resistant after being dried.

The above descriptions of various exemplary embodiments of the invention have been set forth the purpose of illustrating various aspects and features of the invention, and are not intended to limit the invention thereto. Persons skilled in the art will recognize that certain modifications and adaptations can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such modifications and adaptations have been excluded herein for the sake of conciseness and readability, and are properly within the scope of the appended claims.

Features from one embodiment or aspect may be combined with features from any other embodiment or aspect in any appropriate combination. For example, any individual or collective features of method aspects or embodiments may be applied to apparatus, product or component aspects or embodiments and vice versa. 

What is claimed is:
 1. Underlayment, comprising: a) a substrate comprising: i) an engineered veneer face; ii) a wood veneer back; and iii) a wood core; and b) a primer applied to at least one of the engineered veneer face and the wood veneer back, the primer comprising: i) polyvinyl acetate; and ii) titanium oxide, wherein the primer, after being dried, is water resistant to provide an increased vapor barrier for the underlayment.
 2. The underlayment according to claim 1, the layer of primer is at least 0.005 mm thick.
 3. The underlayment according to claim 1, wherein the wood veneer back is an engineered veneer.
 4. The underlayment according to claim 1, wherein the primer is applied to only the engineered face.
 5. The underlayment according to claim 1, wherein the primer comprises polyvinyl acetate within a concentration range of about 10% to about 20% by weight to improve dying speed of the primer.
 6. The underlayment according to claim 1, wherein the primer comprises titanium oxide within a concentration range of about 20% to about 30% by weight, to help with covering the underlying veneer.
 7. The underlayment according to 10 claim 1, wherein the primer further comprises: a) water; b) calcium carbonate; c) Kaolin; d) iron oxide; e) polyvinyl alcohol; and f) sodium bicarbonate.
 8. The underlayment according to claim 7, wherein the printer is classifiable as free from volatile organic compounds according to ISO16000-11, and free from Substances of Very High Concern according to REACH regulations EC1907/2006.
 9. The underlayment according to claim 1, wherein the rate of vapor transmission is less than 105 g/(sq. m per day).
 10. Wall paneling, comprising: a) a substrate having: i) an engineered veneer face; ii) a wood veneer back; and iii) a wood core; and b) a primer applied to at least the engineered veneer face; wherein the primer, after being dried, is water resistant to provide an increased vapor barrier for the wall paneling compared to uncoated Lauan plywood.
 11. The wall paneling according to claim 10, wherein the primer comprises polyvinyl acetate within a concentration range of about 10% to about 20% by weight to improve dying speed of the primer; and wherein the primer comprises titanium oxide within a concentration range of about 20% to about 30% by weight, to help with covering the underlying veneer.
 12. The wall paneling according to claim 11, wherein the primer further comprises: a) water; b) calcium carbonate; c) Kaolin; d) iron oxide; e) polyvinyl alcohol; and f) sodium bicarbonate.
 13. The wall paneling according to claim 10, wherein the primer is classifiable as free from volatile organic compounds according to ISO16000-11; and wherein the primer is classifiable as free from Substances of Very High Concern according to REACH regulations EC1907/2006.
 14. The well paneling according to claim 10 wherein the wood veneer back is an engineered veneer.
 15. The wall paneling according to claim 10, wherein the back includes a first bead pattern, and the engineered veneer face includes a second bead pattern.
 16. The wall paneling according to claim 10, wherein the rate of vapor transmission is less than 105 g/(sq. m per day).
 17. Plywood beadboard, comprising: a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface comprising: a face veneer formed from wood; at least one core veneer formed from wood; and a back veneer formed from wood, wherein a first bead pattern is formed in the top surface of the substrate, wherein a second bead pattern is formed in the bottom surface of the substrate, and wherein at least one of the face veneer and back veneer is an engineered veneer.
 18. The plywood beadboard according to claim 17, further comprising a primer applied to at least the engineered veneer.
 19. The plywood beadboard according to claim 18, wherein, the primer comprises: i) polyvinyl acetate; and ii) titanium oxide, wherein the primer, after being dried, is water resistant to provide an increased vapor barrier for the beadboard.
 20. The plywood beadboard according to claim 19, wherein the rate of vapor transmission is less than 105 g/(sq. m per day). 